What Can Happen Here?

I keep a copy of Sinclair Lewis's prophetic novel, It Can't Happen Here prominently displayed on my desk. One book among the 10,000+ that I own. It's a first edition (picked up for a dollar at a book auction I habitually attend.) The jacket reads; What Will Happen When America Has A Dictator? We've had a chance to think about this question a lot lately. Lewis' book takes the idea a lot of places one might not ordinarily go. He was quite prescient in predicting the nazi path. If you haven't read the book, it is really must reading in these times. It puts the Bush administration in a different light-- more evil, ominous and foreboding. Today we face an heroic day. It is a culmination of much work, effort, passion, conflict. It is the day Democracy in the US will live and soar or die. I am hopeful but trepidatious. Too bad if I'm engaging in making up words. This day will surely see the best and worst of people. When it is done, most experts are predicting the Democrats will control the house and there will be a tie in the senate-- one that Joe Lieberman could turn into a republican majority if he wins. I am praying that we on the left help sweep out the crooked lying bastards in congress and set up a new leadership that starts thoroughly cleaning house. Some say that the house should focus on investigating only one thing. I say that's a load of bullshit. We need to put the congress hard to work investigating everthing that the Republicans failed to investigate, intentionally blocked investigating, did an intentionally incomplete job investigating or covered up. Once this gets under way, then the investigations will provide information that will lead to where we focus our efforts. Nancy Pelosi was right about impeachment. You don't start there. You start with investigations. Just as many criminals never go to trial once confronted with the evitdence against them, instead, negotiating sentences, I am sure that many Republican criminals will also do the same-- resign and negotiate sentences. I'm hoping and expecting that Bush and Cheney will do the same. But they should not get away without doing time and being penalized so they walk away without a penny. They need to confess to their guilt, do at least a month in jail and have their names and reputations clearly marked for the sake of history. We want to stop future generations of the Bush family from criminally corrupting American democracy. Three generations was enough. Today, we better damn well see Ken Blackwell get his first come-uppance. With a Democratic governor, I hope we will see Blackwell, finally, prosecuted for his crimes against democracy. He deserves the worst punishment Ohio has on its books-- hopefully the death penalty. Ah, but that's wishful thinking. I'm sure corrupting the vote gets a minor sentence. that shouldn't be. Congress should pass a federal law exacting a very tough, severe penalty for any act or conspiracy to disenfranchise voters or corrupt the vote. While they're at it, they should throw out ALL the electronic voting machines and use a paper standard, like Canada does, that is impeachably reliable and trustworthy. Let's pray we wake up tomorrow with new leadership in both the house and senate. If we wake up with Democratic wins in neither, read Sinclair Lewis's book, It Can't Happen Here, and know-- it has already happened here, and you need to develop a personal escape plan, like the Poles and Jews who DID survive the holocaust, by leaving.